The Guardian
by Link1337
Summary: He swore to protect his new family. He never gave up on that promise. Huge oneshot, hope you like it! I experimented, it turned out to be pretty good. R&R, please! Love you guys! Ti/Po


**I know, this doesn't differ from my story a whole lot. It's just a one-shot, experimental. Anyways, without further ado, I present to you… "Guardian"! By the way, this was inspired by one of Mitchicus's stories… can't remember the name. The song name for this story is B13A, a Bleach OST. It fits so well with the moment. **

This was it. Here, on this war-torn battlefield. This was their last stand, their final hour… for they were to be overrun. The recently-turned-insane Empress had killed the Emperor, and was opposed to Kung Fu; since her son was assassinated by one of the students from a Kung Fu school she had created to help the denizens of her city. So she decided to eliminate the practice entirely, by killing each and every one of the masters with her army. Those poor, manipulated soldiers… They were in it for pay, since the economy had turned to ash when the Empress killed the Emperor. They had no choice, either fight by her side and keep their families, or die alongside them. Most of the men had children. However, there was no choice but to kill them, for they were going to kill everyone else. And now, in this time of reckoning, the battlefield called out to one man more than the others… Hunter.

As they were dressing for battle, most of the group was having second thoughts about facing an army, even with the entire Kung Fu Council with them. They were more like morale support, when someone reassures you that it will be okay, but you know you'll end up dying. That was basically the case. Here, surrounded by mountains on either side, and an ocean behind them leading to the rest of China, they thought about fleeing to fight another day.

Po spoke up, trying to persuade Hunter to fight at China's border. "I don't know guys… Even though our force is 300 masters strong, they have 30,000 men… I don't know if we can do this."

Hunter, dressed in his Soul Reaper robes, stood up, and faced Po, a look of surprise on his face.

"Po, are you serious? If we take this fight to the heart of China, MILLIONS of lives will be lost. Do you want that to happen? This is China we're defending, not us."

They were in an enclosed area, where the Dragon Warrior and the Prophecy of Oogway could prepare in peace. The area had a steaming geyser, and was surrounded by a mountain incline. Two tents were set up.

**(The Prophecy of Oogway is something in my full-time story that is revealed later… read to find out.)**

Po had a sodden look on his face "Alright… But why do we have to kill them? Those soldiers are fighting for their families! They don't deserve to die!"

Hunter all of a sudden got intensely angry, and his right eyed turned black and yellow, signifying the early signs of hollowfication.

"They DO DESERVE TO DIE! They killed countless people, all in the pursuit of ridding a sacred art! They almost killed Master Tigress! Don't you remember? It was only a month ago!"

Alas, Po did remember. She was eight months pregnant. She was married to Po, of course, as they would have never done it had they not been married. She was just getting up that day, when the shot of a canon blasted through the Valley of Peace's air, and the ball itself hit the Jade Palace. The students of the valley scrambled for the exit, when a second, more explosive shot hit, right in the quarters… Master Tigress was still there and struggling to get out, hence being pregnant and all… She was almost hit, but the shot grazed her shoulder. It still hurt, but she was alive. She called out for help as more canon rounds blasted through the Palace. Po rushed over to her dorm, and pulled away the wreckage. They grabbed her just in time to escape discretely, no trace of their departure left behind. As they were on the outskirts of the Valley, they could see their home, destroyed. The sharp eyes of Hunter saw someone standing at the top… Empress Tomimoto. _'That bastard,'_ Hunter thought. They fled into the surrounding mountains, unheard of and presumed dead.

"I know, but what about second chances? Surely they can change, if we persuade them?"

Po was full of dreams. But that was all they were, dreams. The hollow filter receded from Hunter's right eye, and now responded normally. "They had a second chance before they started killing. That was a year ago. We have to fight, even kill, for what's right. And we have to be willing to die, as well." Hunter grabbed Po's Sword of Heroes, and handed it to him. "You have to be _strong._"

_A few hours later…_

The Kung Fu Council, Five, and the two legendary warriors stood at the gate of the mountain overpass that, before, surrounded them. They planned a surprise attack, from above, when the Imperial Army wouldn't expect it. As they crouched down, ready to strike, Tigress came over to the rest of the Five.

"I hope we make it through this… I don't want my baby to die with me, with us."

Po looked back at her, in his Dragon Armor. "You'll be fine. We will win this this fight, and I will be alive to see your baby. She'll be beautiful."

"Can you promise me that, Po?"

He looked at her, jade eyes full of hope, and said…

"Yes. I promise." She kissed him on the lips, and then walked back over to the encampment.

Hunter, next to Po, gave him a pat on the back. "Don't worry. You'll be alive to see your child. If not… I'll look after things. But you don't have to worry."

They all hushed up, when they caught sight of a scout heading into the mountain ravine. He stopped, looked around, and took a horn out of his belt. He blew, and an eerie horn sounded. From the mist behind the scouter, a massive force rose from the shadows. It seemed endless, with men armed to the teeth. The master's hearts all soared into their throats, but they stood their unseen ground. When the Imperial Army was halfway into the small ravine, the Kung Fu masters jumped from their perches… and into the fray.

They leapt in, weapons leading. Blood rained out of the mass group, and the masters were already at a charging lead… Hunter was devastating. No one had seen him really release all of his anger into his fighting, until now. His sword was covered in blood on the edge, and with every blow, it seemed to slice an opponent. It continued like this for an hour and a half, until the tides were turned by cannons near the entrance to the mountain ravine. Suddenly, they were armed and firing into the crowd, killing both Masters and Imperials alike. The only other person who would have done it was Shen, but he was dead. Empress Tomimoto stood behind the array of canons and heavily armored soldiers. Po leaped from the fray, and onto multiple soldiers, slashing with the Sword of Heroes, and incapacitating multiple enemies at once. Po leapt into the air again.

"Hunter! Spinning Blade of Liberation!"

Hunter tossed his sword in the air, and released a spirit blast from his hands. It hit the sword on the hilt, and the sword spun in a circle across the field. It killed any soldier it hit, and there was a huge space between the two forces for a few seconds as the sword flew back into his hand. Hunter took advantage of this, and released a _Seishin no Bura Suto_, a Spirit Blast. It cleared even more space, and the soldiers relented for a moment, to try and make a strategy. Po then slashed down with green energy, and made the space bigger.

But it was to no avail… A large canon, marked with the name of _Zeus_, fired a devastating shot into the crowd, nearly killing everyone. As the dust settled, Hunter saw that the Council of Masters had been completely destroyed, most of them dead… Master Shifu lay near a rock. Hunter crawled over, making sure he wasn't dead. "Master? Are you alright?" He had cuts all over, some at least an inch deep. Hunter wasn't faring well, either… He was torn and bloody, tired as well. The only thing Master Shifu did was point… right at the bloodied heap of Po.

Hunter speed-crawled over to Po. "Po! NO! You can't die! You… You have to be a father. You must..."

He was cut off by a Panda finger silencing him. "Hunter, save it. None of the masters are able to fight anymore… It's over. She won."

Po was… not… serious, right? I mean, he was always the one to cheer anyone up and now he was just, what, giving up on living? On being a father to his child? Hunter couldn't believe it. Before he could make come- back, Po passed out.

Hunter was now on the verge of tears. His world had been ripped apart too many times to just let it happen again. But at the same time, he was helpless… He had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. It was done. The Empress walked over, a smirk on her face. "It seems that you have lost this game. If you're expecting me to spare you and give you a re-match, then I'm sorry. I do not give second chances."

Hunter looked up.

"You think this is… a _game?_"

Tomimoto turned to her army, her arms spread. "Yes. A very fun, bloody, and satisfying game of thrones. Your throne has been destroyed by me. You lose."

Hunter slowly stood up, eyes trained on his demon in front of him. "I never had a throne to begin with. I made one for my family, not me."

She turned around, a confused expression on her face.

"I never wanted a throne. I was not a king, but a guardian, set on protecting all that was dear to me. I still have not lost, Tomimoto. I'm afraid _you_ have lost."

She turned insane. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GOING ON ABOUT?!"

Hunter, however, remained calm. "I'll show you. This…"

He raised his sword, and pointed it toward the Empress. She stepped back and gasped for air.

"…Is the final Spirit Merging."

Suddenly, blue and black energy spouted from Hunter, as it enveloped him and the surrounding area.

What seemed like hours were mere seconds. Shifu had sensed the ripple in the Spirit World, and looked up. The energy had not dispersed yet, but he saw a silhouette of a warrior. He already knew what it was.

_Saishuutekina Seishin Kougei. _The Final Spirit Attack. But who had Hunter fused with to be able to harness such power?

_In the Spirit World…_

In this endless nirvana, Hunter was confused as to why he had been called here at such a time. He sensed a presence behind him, and turned around.

It was Oogway! He bowed in respect.

"Do not restrain your relationship with me to a courteous bow! Simply say hi, or shake my hand."

Surprise did not begin to cover it.

"Master, no disrespect intended, but why have I been called here in such a tragic time?"

Oogway walked over to him. "Ah, yes. I have sensed your distressed state, and have come to aid you in protecting your family. Now, this technique will most likely drain your state in the real world after you use it, but it will aid in the victory of your war. You will not die, but you will need constant care after use."

"Master, if I may ask, what is this technique?"

Oogway pointed the end of his staff at Hunter. "You…"

He then pointed his staff at himself. "…Will be fusing with me!"

Hunter was shocked. He could not speak, so Oogway carried on.

"I will initiate the technique when you are ready. Are you ready, Master Hunter?"

He looked around a moment, and declared with a powerful voice…

"I'm ready."

A blue energy ring materialized around them, and rose up.

_In the real world…_

The energy settled. A warrior with no name emerged from the smoke. He had white hair, and light hazel eyes. He had a chest piece that looked like it was made of a flexible yet sturdy material, colored dark green. His shorts were gold, with silver Kanji running down the sides. He had wraps around his nose and cheeks that went downward, colored silver. He also had wraps around his arms that were silver. His sword was pure white and about 50" long.

"I told you that you had lost; why did you not concede defeat when it was clearly portrayed in front of your eyes? Now you must suffer death, I am afraid."

He raised his sword at the sky, and a gold energy surrounded it.

"_Jinsoku na Haiboku."_ **Translates to "Swift Defeat."**

He then struck down. A giant, golden dragon leapt forward from the sword and engulfed the entire rest of the Imperial Army. He heard a faint scream from the Empress, but it was brief.

Po had woken up, and was awestruck. The Five, minus Tigress, had their mouths gaped open. When the dragon dissipated, a blinding light rose from the sky. It dissipated soon, and they saw Hunter standing in front of them, back to normal. He was facing a devastated environment, nearly ruined. Suddenly, he fell, panting. He would live.

Po walked over to him, and helped him up. "That was the most awesome thing I've ever seen."

"Po… I think Tigress had the baby. Get on up there, big guy. You're a father now." He said this as a faint whisper. He tired, and decided to try and go to sleep.

They continued with their lives from that day on Po and Tigress were now parents, and happily moved to a luxurious residence. They still trained, but less often. Monkey and Mantis opened up a bakery, solely for Monkey's almond cookies. Crane and Viper kindled, and are now contemplating marriage. They still train. The only one who seemed to be disconnected was Hunter. He still trains at the Jade Palace, now rebuilt. He had awful nightmares the first months after the war, but fought them with his newfound spiritual power. He still says that he retains his title… The Guardian.


End file.
